


A Rose's Thorns

by Anonymous



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-14
Updated: 2011-03-14
Packaged: 2017-10-16 23:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/170372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captchalogue Prompt: John/Rose<br/>John is an incredibly sappy, PDA kind of boyfriend. Rose usually brushes him off, which makes him feel like he's Doing It Wong. One day he finds out she enjoys it more than she lets on (idk, he finds she keeps all his godawful poems or pressed a bouquet he gave her).<br/>Cue a confrontation with this new evidence and some good-natured ribbing. Can you tell I'm in the mood for fluff or what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Rose's Thorns

((I don't think this is exactly what you were looking for, but I hope it works!))

John was pretty sure he failing at his first relationship. He was sixteen and had technically been dating Rose Lalonde for a year and a half now. The first several months had been long distance, over the internet. It was hardly different from how they were before, just that it had a label and he was able to say “i luv you” before he signed off Pesterchum for the night.

At that time John had had no idea that his father had also begun seeing Rose’s mother, and they would also talk online. It took him ages to realize that the pretty blonde lady his father had over whenever he could was actually his girlfriend’s mom. Color him shocked. Two months later, Dad announced that they were moving. He now lives two blocks away from Rose (for some reason their parents had not moved in together, which Rose said worked out for the best; he wouldn’t want to live with her, it would make them too much like siblings.), and has for the last four months.

John, was of course, excited about this move. They could actually be like real girlfriend and boyfriend now, and how cool was that!? Rose had even admitted that she was quite pleased with the new arrangement. They started attending school together that fall and John couldn’t be happier. He was certain he had the prettiest girlfriend in the whole school. He would hold her hand, and hug her when they parted ways, maybe if he was feeling brave he’d even give her peck on the lips. He found any excuse in the world to touch her. He wrote her lame poems, and even tried to rap for her once, which both she and Dave told him was complete shit. On her birthday he got her a stuffed bear and a bouquet of flowers, none of that roses business, Dave told him that wouldn’t even be the funny kind of irony. (Though when he’d first met her in person after he moved he’d given her a rose and told her, “A rose for Rose” then cracked up at his own wit.)

Lately though, when he reached for her hand she would pull it away; start digging around in her purse for something. When he tried to hug her outside his classroom, she always ducked beneath his arms and made some excuse about being late. To make matters even more confusing when they were alone in her room things seemed completely different. She didn’t mind cuddling up to him, would even sometimes read him some of her stories, but only if he asked really nicely. She was the one who initiated their first make out, which took him completely by surprise.

Still, at school she seemed distant. She ate lunch with him, but was often absorbed in her books, they walked home together, but her hands were always full and she made sure to keep at least a few inches between them. John wasn’t sure what he was doing wrong. So why not turn to the relationship expert.

\-- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] --

EB: hey, hey karkat you around?  
CG: OH GOD. WHAT, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? LISTEN UP AND OPEN YOUR EARHOLE FOR THIS ONE CAUSE I’M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE AND ONLY ONCE UNDERSTAND SHITHEAD.  
CG: I DON’T GIVE ANY FUCKS ABOUT HOW ROSE SUCKED YOUR MOUTH OFF OF YOUR EXCEEDINGLY RETARDED HUMAN FACE, OKAY!? I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW YOU GOT YOUR HUMAN FREAK ON OR WHATEVER THE FUCK IT IS YOU DO.  
CG: JUST NO. FUCKING NO.  
EB: actually its not about that  
EB: it is about rose though  
CG: FUCKING GREAT. HERE’S AN IDEA FOR YOUR TINY THINKPAN, GET A HOBBY. SOMETHING OTHER THAN WATCHING SHITTY HUMAN MOVIES.  
EB: i think she might break up with me...  
CG: OH YOU THINK SHE MIGHT  
CG: WAIT, WAIT! WHAT THE FUCK? WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU THINK THAT?  
EB: i just feel like shes so far away like shes pulling away  
EB: like maybe i did something wrong and she just doesnt want to hurt my feelings  
CG: SINCE WHEN HAS SHE SPARED YOUR MISERABLE FEELINGS BEFORE? SARCASM ASIDE SHE USUALLY SEEMS PRETTY DAMN HONEST. I MEAN SHE TELLS YOU WHEN YOUR BEING A DUMB FUCK, DOESN’T SHE?  
EB: usually  
EB: but rose is a lot nicer then she comes off.  
EB: i’m just not sure whats wrong!  
EB: i’ve tried everything!  
CG: DID YOU TRY FUCKING ASKING HER. IT’S USUALLY THE SIMPLEST FUCKING SOLUTION AND I ALWAYS FIND THAT ITS THE LAST FUCKING STEP SOMEONE TAKES, LIKE SOME SORT TORMENT LOVING IDIOT. IT’S LIKE PEOPLE TRY TO DRAG SHIT OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE SOLVING IT.  
EB: i did ask her! she said everthing was fine!  
CG: THEN MAYBE EVERYTHING IS FUCKING FINE. YOU MIGHT BE OVERREACTING. YOU DO THAT.  
EB: noooooooo i’m not overreacting i know i’m not!  
CG: WELL THEN FUCK, WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK DO I KNOW? SHIT I KNOW FUCK ALL ABOUT YOUR STUPID HUMAN TWO QUADRANT ROMANCE BULLSHIT OR WHATEVER. GO ASK SOMEONE ELSE FOR ADVICE IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FUCKING LISTEN.  
EB: sorry karkat...  
EB: i’m just really worried about this  
EB: i really love rose i don’t want to lose her  
CG: TALK TO STRIDER. HE KNOWS HER BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.  
EB: oh hey! thats a really good idea!  
EB: thanks karkat!  
EB: see i’m glad it talked to you :)  
CG: FUCKING FUCK JOHN. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT.  
EB: it’s okay karkat i know you really care  
CG: GO FUCKING TALK TO STRIDER  
EB: okay thanks again!

\--ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]--

It was a while before Dave was online. Dave was a cool kid so he had plenty of stuff to do these days. John had a chatlog open in the meantime with Rose, but neither of them were really talking to each other, something that had slowly become the norm over the last two weeks, though even when he first moved here, they talked more online then they did face to face. He would glance back at the log every other second, in case maybe she posted while he hadn’t been looking, but it usually wasn’t the case.

John took dinner in his room. Ms. Lalonde was over that night (Rose has opted to stay home to do homework), and he found it a bit awkward to be around their parents together. Thankfully while he was eating spaghetti, Dave logged on.

\--ectioBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG]--

EB: dave dave dave!  
EB: i need your help!  
TG: whoa dude  
TG: damn straight you do  
TG: everyone needs my damn help. i’m just the guy ever is what they call me.yone goes to for help, because i’m so damn helpful. mr. fucking helpful  
EB: i’m having trouble with rose  
TG: trouble with rose? nahhh not possible man  
TG: theres no way rose could be troublesome. she’s just the least troublesome person around  
TG: i mean how on earth could you be having trouble with her? it isnt like shes sarcastic or emotionally unavailable or has some serious issues with her mom and likely her dad cat as well  
EB: bluh bluh  
EB: i’m serious! i don’t know what to do!  
TG: isn’t fuckface mc capsalot the love expert  
EB: he suggested I talk to you since you know rose best  
TG: what’s to know? shes a sarcastic bitch who uses big words to try and feel superior to those around her  
TG: anyway what kind of problems are you guys having exactly? you guys are like fucking cotton candy with your romance.  
EB: thats just it! we’re not, not anymore.  
EB: everytime i try to hold her hand or hug her or kiss her or something she always pulls away and finds excuses  
EB: she probably thinks i dont know it  
TG: oh holy fuck what are you two double teaming me?  
EB: huh?  
TG: nevermind. hold on a sec

John waited, but eventually he had to take his plate downstairs and Dave still seemed to be busy. He tried to sneak past the dining room where Dad and Ms. Lalonde were already through a second bottle of wine, and working on dessert. Unfortunately Rose’s mom caught him, she always seemed to. She had a thing for gushing over him, especially once she had a few drinks in her system.

Dad was more perceptive than John would have liked, immediately asking what was wrong. He tried to brush it off, but as soon as Ms. Lalonde caught on she was all over helping him out. She would absolutely not let him get away until he’d spilled the entire story. To make things even worse once he was done she just laughed at him, downed her glass of wine, and then laughed again.

Before he could abscond to the kitchen she reached out and pinched his cheeks. “Let me tell you something. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to Rose. She just has trouble expressing how she really feels sometimes. It’s something she probably ought see a therapist about.

“But you, John, have been the best thing in her life, even before you two started dating, and since you’ve made such an impact on her. She keeps everything you’ve ever given her, you know. She thinks I don’t know about it, but that silly girl has always underestimated me. That rose you gave her, when you first moved here has been preserved and sits inside a glass container like that Disney movie, which is her favorite. She keeps another writing journal under her mattress where she writes ridiculous love stories starring Jack and Daisy, She’s even started hugging her Squiddles again at night, which is a habit she stopped when she turned twelve.

“So really, she’s just being a high school girl, who doesn’t know how to express herself.” Rose’s mom finished her explanation by refilling her glass and taking a deep drink.

John, however, was bouncing in his spot in joy. Rose really did care! She was just shy! Of course, why hadn’t he thought of that? It made perfect sense in relation to Rose.

Sometime later, but not much...

“John what is this? Is there some reason you cannot give me unsavory chocolates as most significant others do on this excuse for a holiday?”

John rolled his eyes as he led Rose along. She was blindfolded after much protesting, and had no idea where they were. It was Valentine’s Day however and John had insisted on this ridiculousness. In truth, Rose’s heart was beating wildly, and she was absurdly excited to see what he had in store for her.

Judging from how far they’d walked since they got off the bus, and the stop she was pretty sure they’d gotten off of, she was sure they were headed to his house. That was confirmed once they stepped inside and she could smell the increasingly familiar smell of Betty Crocker in the kitchen. She could easily imagine the frown of displeasure that would crease John’s face and it made her smile, though she would never be able to fully comprehend his hate for the baking company.

Up the stairs they went, him telling her when to step each time though she told him that was quite unnecessary. They entered a room and the let go of her shoulders, from where he had been guiding her from behind. She reached up to pull the blindfold off, but he made a protesting noise.

“Not yet.”

“How much longer am I going to have to wear this?”

“Just a second, I’m almost done.” She heard him shuffle some things around his room before his movement ceased. “Okay, now!”

She untied the blindfold and blinked. He was standing in front of her, holding a single rose out, smiling his incredibly dorky smile. On the bed was a box of chocolates in the shape of a heart, and a gift bag with purple tissue paper sticking out the top.

“Happy V day Rose. I, uh, hope you like what I got you.”

“That remains to be seen.” She eyed the bag on the bed suspiciously and approached it. He followed behind thrusting the rose in front of her again. She took it with a sigh, and blinked. The rose was a fake. How unusual.

She pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and smoothed it out before setting it carefully on the bed. The first thing she saw were new spools of black, purple, and lavender yarn. This made her smile, it meant that John had actually been listening the other day when she was complaining about being nearly out. Of course, she had already gone out and replenished her supply, which she informed him of, just to watch his face drop. Beneath the yarn was a DVD, which she pulled out.

Beauty and the Beast.

But....

How did he know?

Glancing at him over the DVD case she saw him grinning sheepishly. “I thought we could watch the movie together.”

She felt her heart flutter. Moving forward she took his face in her free hand and kissed him. It was soft and when she pulled away she was looking at the floor, then the DVD cover.

“It might not be a terrible idea to watch this. The Beast certainly has many psychological issues I would love to revisit now that I am older.”

The End.


End file.
